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Boyd's

Smithers Brewing Company
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🌍 Canada · Dark Lager · One of 16 Dark Lagers in hopIQ

A dark lager that stays light on its feet despite the colour. Roasted malt brings coffee and dark chocolate to the nose, but the roast is kept smooth rather than sharp and there is no real sweetness behind it. The body is slim for the shade, the finish clean and dry, and the hops do little beyond balance. Nearly black in the glass under a tan head.

ABV
5.2%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
deep amber20
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Style expression
textbookdistinctive
Taste structure· The backbone of the beer, regardless of style.
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
hopIQ take

Crisp mouthfeel.

The texture leads here, with everything else held in gentle reserve.

Wider bands mean we're less certain about the exact position.
Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Dark Lager.
Malt character
roasted
coffee
chocolate
malty
toasty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
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Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Boyd's

Appearance

Nearly black in the glass, Boyd's presents a deep mahogany-to-ebony hue that belies its light body and dry character. A tan head forms with moderate density and holds with fair persistence, leaving fine lacing as the beer settles. The clarity is clean, with no visible suspended matter.

nearly blacktan headclean clarity

Aroma

The nose leads with roasted malt character—coffee grounds and dark chocolate dominate without sharpness or burnt edges. The roast remains smooth and well-integrated, with no overt sweetness or caramel undertone. Herbal hop notes sit low in the background, contributing only subtle balance to the overall aromatic profile.

roasted maltcoffee and chocolatesmooth roast

Taste

The palate opens with the promised coffee and chocolate notes from the roasted Malz, delivered cleanly across a slim, elegant body. Mid-palate shows toasty grain character without cloying sweetness; the malt framework remains restrained and dry. Hop bitterness provides gentle structure without aggression, allowing the roasted character to remain the focal point.

roasted maltclean and drylight-bodied

Finish

The finish is crisp and dry, with the roasted malt notes fading quickly into a clean, slightly coffee-tinged aftertaste. No lingering sweetness or bitter grip—the beer simply fades gracefully.

dry finishclean aftertaste
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
80
Taste
78
Appearance
76
Finish
77
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Boyd's

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Boyd's

About Dark Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Dark Lager?

Dark Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Dark Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same roasted, smooth, clean character as Boyd's will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Dark Lagers in hopIQ

WHERE TO BUY

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